The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-10-22
REPUBLICAN M1sRULE.
EXTRACT FROM A SPEECH
HON. BERNARD CARTER.
IN BALTIMORE, OCTOBER IA.

Holiday Hicks. This declaration was made
with deliberation, and was not meaningless.
What does it signify? Why were these two
men selected out of the Republican worthless
as the exemplars of the aims and spirit OF the
Republican party of Maryland to-ddyF and
why were their names associated togeth-
err? Governor Hicks and Henry Winter Davis
both had political career just before the
late civil war and during that war; they were
both elected to Office in the year 1859 by the
American or Know.nothing party, the one as
Governor of Maryland and the other to Con-
gress
Not only, therefore, were they both repre-
sentative men Of that party whose corner
stone was hostility to all toreign-bo born citi-
zens and to all Roman Catholics, native and
foreign, but their so-called election was then
characterized by Mr. S. T. Wallis, in an edi-
torial in one of the daily newspapers, las the
fruit of rutidn violence and wholesale fraud,
the stuffing of ballot-boxe and the disfran.
chisement of citizens And meeting held
a few days before the election is also thus
described by Mr.. Wallis in an editorial in the
same paper: 1.-THE conglomeratiOn Of Ruf-
5ianisnl of this city last night paraded the
streets and assembled in Monument Square.
Mr.. Henry Winter Davis addressed the as
semblage, and over the speakers head was
suspended a large Anvil There were numer-
GUS transparencies which were of the most
indecent and brutal description, some OF them
too obscene for publication. All of them
avowed the deliberate purpose to triumph by
fraud and rioleRce."
And ofthe condition of the Criminal Court
of Baltimore City in those days of Hicks and
Davis you shall Judge also from a descrip-
ton given by the same Mr.. S. L. Wallis, who,
in a speech in Monument Square, thus speaks
oft: Into that dwelling place of corrup-
ton no honest man can enter without fear,
while scarce a william comes out of it except in
triumph" So much for the ante bellum
career of Messrs. Davis and Hicks.
| During the civil war to these two men,
more than to all other Maryland men, is due
the wholesale disfranchisement and ruthless
deprivation of their other civil rights to which
the adherents of the Democratic party OF Ma
ryland were subjected from 1861 to 1864,
when it eliminated in the forcing upon the
people of Maryland the constitution OF 1864,
under which, out of &C, 200 legal voters in
Baltimore only 10000 were allowed to be
registered, and out of $4,000 voters in the
| State of Maryland only $4,000 were allowed
to be registered. 1t is one thing, and a very
bad thing, too, that the Democrats of Mary
land had to endure what they bore during
those sad years of her history, but 1t is adding
insult to injury to have the men who were
chiefly instrumental in infcting those lnJu,
ries set up now again as the embodiment OF
the aims and spirit of the Republican party,
which to-day once more seeks to get control
of our affairs.
But let us now pass to the very latest tame
of Republican control in this city and State;
] to the time when control was wrested from
them by the Democratic party, and wrested
from them, too, under the leadership of the
men now most prominent in the counsels OF
the Democratic party of Maryland.
speak of1S66 Now, whatever efforts may
be made by some OF the Republican and as
sistant Republican speakers to repudlate Mr.;
McComas's lament for the days of Hicks and
Davis, and to associate Republicans OF those
days from those who now control it, certain
it is that the Republican party, which to-day
is endeayoring to fasten its grip once more on
this city and State is the very same Republi-
can party which in 1866 was made TO let go
its grip on the same city and State.
Read, then, men of Maryland, and reflect
upon the record Of the Republican party of
MARYLAND as now produce it to you, and
Judge therefrom what you will once more
have to endure if that party is restored to
power here.
The last Municipal Election held in Mary
land under Republican control was held In
October, 1866.
HOW was IL cOHuuClcu!
Let the resolutions of the Democratic Con-
sentative Convention held in this city on Oc-
sFtober 16, 1886, answer this question. quote
il,these resolutions from the ''SUYi of October
s'Resolced, That the late municipal election
was conducted with utter disregard of the
law Of the land and Of the will of the people
of Baltimore; that forms have been grossly
abused and made the cover for the violation
of rights, and neither common fairness nor
the sanetity of official oaths have been any
restraint upon official corruptions; that having
borne with patience all outrages upon the
sacred rights of freemen while it was neees-
sary for the preserrdtioR Of peace and order,
it is now the solemn duty of the people to re-
sort to the means which the law provides to
vindicate the sanctity of the elective franchise
and their own liberties.
s'Resolred, That the police commissioners
of the city of Baltimore have utterly dlsre-
garded their duty, abused their trust, violated
their oaths, and forfeited their Offices by the
removal of police officers on political grounds,
by the appointment of men as judges OF cleo
: ton who were manifestly incompetent, and
who had no other qualification than mt$cI7t-
pulous partisan subseruieRcy; By their orders
to police magistrates to detain persons ar
rested until the close of election without a
hearing or an opportunity to give bail; by
their conniving at the refusal of the judges to
receive ballots from persons entitled to vote;
by the appointment as extra policemen for the
municipal election of men whose personal and
partisan character untitled them for such
duty, and for numerous other acts of official
misconduct"
A third resolution asked the Governor to
remove the commissioners.
; Therefore, the Governor having notified the
h., daya 70
into the charges thus preferred and take evi-
dence touching the same, the Republican
convention which met October IS to nomi-
nate Republican candidates for the Legisla-
ture passed series of resolutions declaring
that the action of the Governor was usurpa-
ton of authority and would be resisted by
force by every loyal man in the city, and
urged the Police Commissioners to maintain
their positions and not to surrender the IN
terests of Maryland into the hands of traitors
from any fear of disturbance or conflict, but
to trust to the loyal men of the city to bring
them triumphantly through any revolution the
Governor may inaugurate.
This survey of the records of the Republi-
can party shows:
First. That it squandered and used for par
tisan purposes the public funds of the city.
Second. Itperyerted and demoralized the
police force of Baltimore city.
Third. It corrupted the election machinery
tions corrupt and criminal partisans.
4 Fourth. 1t attempted to keep in disfran-
i phisement large majority of the people OF
| the State.
That you may have no doubt that the same
class of men which then controlled the Repub-
lican party Of Maryland now control it,and will
still continue to control it, you need but look
back to the newspapers of 1866, and you will
| find among the names of its active workers
then names of men still prominent and con-
trolling in its counsels And that you may
still further be assured that Republican meth
DDS Of those days still remain Republican
methods of the present, turn for moment to
the members for Baltimore city of the State
| Central Committee of the Republican party,
appointed atits recent State convention held in
this city in August last. l take at random
from the list, by way Of illustration, the three
names of VIM. +. Stone, W. r. Airey and
William t. Henderson.
| know no reason that these are not true
samples of the whole committee.
4 With reference to w. F. Stone and w. +.
Airey, propose to allow them to picture each
other, and shall have no need to add any
touch to make it an effective picture